Shades Of Your Warmth

Bad Luck

    The princess indignantly sat down on her cushioned chair near the large window of her room. The head maid would be shortly joining her in her room. She was getting angrier by the passing moment. Her stupid brother had spoiled the maid rotten. But she was going to change all of that from now on.
She pondered on what job she could really assign the maid with. She could send the maid out to fetch supplies for the palace out in the town. "No", the princess spoke to herself. Sending Rebecca Patricia Armstrong outside could spell disaster as she could attract too many unwanted attention as she could be annoyingly friendly. The princess couldn't really decide on any thing. A frustrated sigh left her mouth and right then, an idea struck her and her eyes landed on her large mirror with an intricately designed silver frame. She could make the girl clean that up often as those tend to acquire quite a bit of dust. She thought for a while and yet again, decided against it. Having the girl clean that would mean she would have to spend an extended amount of time in her room and she did not want that for some reason.
She wouldn't admit it to herself but the job criteria she had in mind for the girl was something along the lines of: the job should not be dangerous, it should not involve heavy lifting, sharp items, etc; the job also should not involve too many people. She didn't want Becky making new friends. Maids were not there to make new friends, she justified. Her slender fingers ran through her tresses as she jumped from one idea to another.
Why was she stressing over something so insignificant like this again?

Right then, the heavy door cracked open and in came the head maid.
"You asked for me, your highness?"

"Yes, Mami. It is not something really that important but we need to discuss it anyway. That kid," the princess paused a bit. "That stupid little maid has been kept for too long with not many things to do."

"Your highness, your bro-"

"My order Comes above his, Mami." The princess got up from her seat, clearly annoyed. To an onlooker, she would seem as calm as one could be.

"Yes, your highness."

"Find something suitable for her and let me know now." The princess added calmly.

"Your highness, I may have just the right job for her. We have begun cleaning the chandeliers in the grand hall and we will also be cleaning the ones in the ballroom. That should keep her busy for at least a couple of weeks."

The princess stared right at her Mami in disbelief, although she blinked a second later to mask her shock. "I am sure she cannot climb a ladder that high to clean some chandeliers on the wall. What if she- what if she f-falls or something... Any other idea?"

The head maid did pick up on the selective concerns the princess had for the maid she claimed she hated but she was in no position to question her.

"Your highness, the chandeliers are to be lowered by ropes by the men and all the cleaning will be done down on the floor." The head mead clarified.

"Then fine. You may leave."

"And mami," the the princess called the headmaid before she could exit the door.
"She can bring me my afternoon tea starting today."

"As you please, your highness."

__________________________________

"Becky!" Becky stopped in her tracks and turned towards the familiar voice.

"Hey"

An out of breath Heng stood bent over a little, panting away. "Haven't seen much of you lately." He said, eying the tray in Becky's hands. " You're here to deliver the tea, I see." He added standing up a bit.

"I am" Becky smiled, "I have been uh... busy" Becky couldn't tell the man she was specifically told not to befriend the gardener.

"The last time I saw you was when you were here with Prince Non" Heng spoke almost sounding sad.